George Washington University Athletics
Hyped for Hoops
11/10/2021 12:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Smith Center crowd spurs doubleheader sweep
Joe Bamisile bounded around the Charles E. Smith Center court, smiling wide and imploring the jubilant home crowd to get even louder.
The opening-night party was nearly five hours old by the time Ricky Lindo Jr. snared a Saint Francis (Pa.) miss in the closing seconds to essentially seal a 75-72 victory, and the Buff and Blue faithful had no trouble summoning the enthusiasm to meet Bamisile’s request for more.
In their return to the arena for basketball games that counted for the first time in 20 months, fans were treated to a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday night and plenty of highlights worth celebrating on the road to 1-0 for both GW squads.
The women got the night started with a gritty 58-47 win over American in their opener under Head Coach Caroline McCombs, before the men held on to defeat the Red Flash thanks to shining debuts from Bamisile and Brendan Adams and a couple of clutch defensive plays from Lindo with the game on the line.
Every step of the way, the energetic crowd, led by a strong student contingent, was there to make a difference with its support.
“It was honestly more than I could’ve imagined,” said Adams, the UConn graduate transfer who netted a game-high 22 points. “The student section showed up. It was just a lot of fun.”
In the opener, McCombs’ squad showcased her vision for the program, bouncing back from a rough start by playing lockdown defense, crashing the boards and attacking the rim over the final three quarters.
Coming off the bench in her Buff and Blue debut, D.C. native Ty Moore embodied that spirit, piling up 18 points and 11 rebounds across 30 minutes. The graduate transfer via Troy posted eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, plus five rebounds and a steal, in the final quarter to help the home team shake off the Eagles.
There was room for improvement, to be sure, but after an offseason spent hard at work learning McCombs’ blue-collar system, the Buff and Blue found “Defend. Rebound. Run.” proved a winning formula in the opener. Notably, the home side held a 13-4 edge on the offensive glass and forced 24 turnovers, including a handful of charges.
“When we do it, we have fun,” said Moore. “We’re going to keep following every game plan Coach gives us.”
The Smith Center crowd made a fine first impression on McCombs, who was hired last April after leading Stony Brook to its first NCAA Tournament. The veteran coach hopes it’s a blueprint that can be replicated time and again going forward, with the next chance coming Thursday when 24th-ranked Virginia Tech visits Foggy Bottom.
“It was awesome,” McCombs said. “That was huge having our fans here. It’s terrific. With them seeing us get that first win, just that joy and excitement watching our players play, the energy that we bring, hopefully they’ll come back and want to see some more.”
In the nightcap, the men showcased an exhilarating style of play that saw them pressure on defense and push the pace on offense to create opportunities for a slew of crowd-pleasing finishes above the rim.
Adams’ team-best offensive output included four 3-pointers and a 6-for-7 effort from the foul line, while Bamisile hit for a career-high 20 points, including 15 after halftime, in his first game with the program after transferring from Virginia Tech.
Along the way, Bamisile served as the unofficial MC, repeatedly playing to the crowd and hyping up his teammates while wearing a perpetual grin.
“It was fun,” Bamisile said. “We were super connected. The crowd was really into it. I just wanted to uplift my teammates with some positivity. Having a good attitude, smiling and trying to get everyone involved was how I wanted to go about it.”
Everyone could feel good after GW fended off the visitors’ late charge. The Buff and Blue led 71-58 on a bucket from Lindo with 5:38 left before the Red Flash went on a 14-2 run to get within 1 in the final minute.
From there, Lindo played the hero in closing out the victory. The senior forward from D.C. blocked a go-ahead attempt out of bounds with 5 seconds left, then corralled the final rebound, hit two free throws on the other end and stole the ensuing inbounds pass to run out the clock.
In a timeout before St. Francis’ final shot, Head Coach Jamion Christian was able to gather his group to set up his defense before the frantic finish. The third-year coach called it an important growth moment for a revamped squad learning to play and win together.
“Our poise in the huddle was great,” Christian said. “There was no fear in that huddle. Everyone was locked into what we needed to do, and everyone had the confidence, you could feel it, that we were going to get that job done. I think that’s huge.”
Ultimately, GW found a way to start off with a win in spite of a lackluster defensive effort in the second half and a 2-for-13 shooting night from Preseason All-Conference guard James Bishop. It took a team effort to get there, and the positive vibes from the home fans certainly helped.
At one point in the second half with the Red Flash on a run, Christian turned to George’s Army and asked the assembled students, already on their feet, to make more noise. When the hard-earned victory was finally secure, everyone celebrated with a rousing rendition of the fight song.
Those kind of scenes were missing from Smith Center last season, and all involved savored their return on Tuesday night.
"I can feel that energy from our crowd," Christian said. "One of the things I just said on the telecast: You can really feel that our fanbase is ready to blow the roof off the top of this place. You can feel that energy, and I know our guys can feel that energy."
